Contemporary Global Crisis: Distancing Religion from Politics

Abstract

Religion is exercising greater influence upon people in present times than ever before. Elementary forms of religious life could be traced to the distant past, although they evolved to such classic forms over the years. Religion has contributed to consolidating human groups into larger unified societies. Polity is a much later outcome of organized life. The former existed before and the latter evolved later. Religion always maintained a status quo. It has been static for a given population, while polity has been witnessing changes during different times across the world and in any given society independent of religion. However, both served to maintain social order. Notwithstanding these, religion has been an oppressive instrument, in as much the same way as politics, the modus operandi differs though. Religion has inbuilt elements serving oppression wholly or partly to various segments of the population as it applies to. Politics has undergone bureaucratization with increased concentration of power, rigidity of hierarchy, and leadership stereotyping. One of the contemporary disturbing developments has been the increasingly predatory role of religion over politics. A variety of factors contributed to it. Chiefly, at the local level are selective education, religious indoctrination, repressive dogmas, and increasing radicalism. At the global level factors such as invasions and conquest, power disequilibrium, demographic factors, geo-political factors, trade gaps, and monopoly of Resources, etc. are added to it. This study is an attempt to examine the nexus between religion and politics and how it is furthering the enslavement of the masses.